


Did It Break Us? - Part 6

by LoveYourArtFriend



Series: Did It Break Us? [6]
Category: American (US) Actor RPF, Captain America - All Media Types, Chris Evans - Fandom, Marvel, Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: F/M, Post-Serum Steve Rogers, Romance, Steve Rogers Feels
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-13
Updated: 2020-01-13
Packaged: 2021-02-27 07:48:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,846
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22233556
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LoveYourArtFriend/pseuds/LoveYourArtFriend
Relationships: Steve Rogers/Original Female Character(s)
Series: Did It Break Us? [6]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1421746
Kudos: 5





	Did It Break Us? - Part 6

An empire toppled by its enemies can rise again. 

But one which crumples from within? 

That's dead… forever.

~~~~~~

Zemo played surveillance footage from on a small screen off to the side. Steve stepped over to it, curious.

Tony looked at the freeze frame of a secluded road and the date in the bottom corner, December 16, 1991. His eyes roved, anxiously. “I know that road. What is this?” he directed at Zemo.

Bucky had you on your feet and had planted a kiss on your cheek. You knew instantly his mind was in the now and you felt safe beside him. You both walked across the chamber toward Tony and Steve but something halted Bucky and you followed suit, standing beside him. Turning your eyes toward him, the look on his face was of pure terror. You quickly shot your line of sight to the images on the screen.

A car quickly appeared and crashed into a tree and a motorcycle pulled up beside the wreckage. The rider dismounted and there was no failing to notice the silver arm with the star at the shoulder. Steve knew what it was and was horrified to be seeing it. He shifted his eyes back and forth from the screen to Tony, watching his increasing unease.

Bucky started to fidget as you focused more intently on the video. Your heart sank when you recognized the rider. You shot your eyes to Bucky and he felt your gaze. He lowered his head slightly and you could see his eyes shift to his periferal, then back to the screen.

The driver was on the ground beside the car, begging for his wife to be helped. The Winter Soldier calmly walked over and pulled his head up by his hair, staring into his bloodied face. The man on the ground looked pleadingly at his assailant, almost as if he recognized him. The woman passenger could be heard from the car, “Howard!”

Steve looked over at you and your eyes made contact with his. Your jaw was open and a tear threatened to escape your eye as you observed your husband’s face. His expression said it all - the passengers in the car were Tony’s parents. 

Tony glared at Bucky and turning his eyes back to the video, he watched the Winter Soldier punch his father in the face with his metal fist.

Maria yelled for Howard again and the sound of her voice sent a wave of grief over Tony’s being. He closed his eyes for a moment, then opened them in time to watch his father slump forward, dead. 

The Winter Soldier dragged Howard back to the car and put him back in the driver’s seat, placing his face against the steering wheel. Tony stared in horror as the soldier walked around to the other side of the car. Maria’s face was streaked with blood as the expressionless Barnes gripped her throat and strangled her. "No," you whispered, hand covering your mouth, holding back the vomit that wanted to present itself. Bucky took a step back and you placed yourself in front of him, instinctively drawing your arm shields.

Tony was stunned. There were no words.

The Winter Soldier walked up to the surveillance camera and shot it off the pole, rendering it useless.

Steve watched Tony anxiously then suddenly, Tony lunged toward you and Bucky. Steve tried to stop him, “Tony! TONY!”

Consumed with grief and tears glistening in his eyes, Tony turned and looked at Steve, “Did you know?”

“I didn't know it was him.”

“Don't bullshit me, Rogers! Did you know?”

“Yes.”

Your emotions soared at Steve’s admission. Tony stepped back, his chin jutting upward, twitchily. Tony reengaged his helmet and punched Steve to the floor. Turning quickly, he aimed his repulsor at Bucky as the Winter Soldier raised his gun, its barrel resting by your ear. “TONY!” you yelled as you instinctively brought your shields up for protection. “Tony, it wasn’t him,” you tried to convince. “HYDRA had control of his mind.”

“Move, F/n!”

“It wasn’t him!” you yelled back.

Steve pulled himself from the ground and waved his arms at Bucky, “Get out of here!”

Bucky bolted and Tony aimed past your head and fired at him. He missed and the soldier made it to the wall, hitting a control panel that opened the chamber’s silo door overhead. Your instinct propelled you to lunge at Tony and grab his arm, twisting his hand up so he couldn’t fire at anyone.

“IT WASN’T HIM, TONY,” you screamed right in his face but it was no use. There was nothing left for Tony except revenge. He used his free hand to shoot a blast to your other arm shield, forcing you off the ground and and flinging you across the room. “Fuck!” you blurted as you hit the wall.

Zemo took his leave from the control panel to escape the fight. His promise had come to fruition and was complete. They were going to tear each other apart. He sealed the chamber so none of you could get out the same way you got in.

Bucky turned and fired at Tony who deflected the bullets. Steve whipped his shield at him, hitting him in the back. It had no effect. Tony started to fly across the chamber and Steve grabbed Iron Man's ankle in mid air, smashing the jet with his vibranium disk. “Tony, listen to me,” he pleaded, but Tony wasted no time firing his repulsor at him, sending him backward to the ground. 

“STARK!” you yelled.

He forcefully made his way toward Bucky but you jumped in front of him, protecting the soldier. Tony didn’t stop. He stomped toward you and after you fired on him, he shouldered you to the floor and fired shackles on your ankles. He grabbed Bucky and flung him to another wall. Approaching him again, he raised his fist, ready to fire, but Bucky grabbed and twisted it with his metal arm. Tony shot a rocket from his arm that exploded in a fireball above their heads. 

Steve ran over and sliced your shackles. Extending an arm to bring you to your feet, he gently caressed your face, a silent apology and sadness shared between you both. “Tony’s not going to stop. You and Bucky need to go. Let me take care of this.” You shot your eyes up the silo to the opening roof, knowing you had to climb to get out. When you returned your gaze to Steve, you nodded your acknowledgement and ran toward the Winter Soldier.

Pipes were collapsing as you slid into Tony’s legs, trying desperately to knock him down. When you were successful, Bucky grabbed your hand and the two of you ran toward the ladder that would grant you freedom out the top of the bunker. You ran through twisted metal that showered sparks everywhere.

Steve stood in front of Tony as he tried to stand, giving you and Bucky time to run. Tony wasted no time shooting at some rubble behind Cap, sending him scrambling before he could be crushed.

Tony started to take off toward you, faltering as he tried to fly up the silo. “Left boot jet failing. Flight systems compromised,” FRIDAY alerted.

“Ah crap.”

Above him, you and Bucky surpassed the top of the ladder and were leaping from platform to platform. With stuttering jets, Iron Man continued to chase. His intent was never to hurt you, he wanted the Winter Soldier. He kicked Bucky and took aim, but the energy bolt rebounded off your arm shield, back onto himself. Tony dropped like a stone and landed on a lower platform.

Steve had been climbing and as Tony tried to fly again, Steve leaped over to a platform and yanked out a wire which he wrapped around Iron Man's neck, sending him back down. He shot at Steve again and it ripped his shield from his back, hurtling it to another walkway, Tony tried to target Bucky.

“Come on, come on,” Tony muttered as his helmet glitched.

“Targeting system's knackered, Boss,” FRIDAY confirmed.

“I'm eyeballing it.” His helmet retracted and he shut one eye, taking aim at the opening hatch. He fired and hit the giant hinge which exploded, cutting off your escape route. He flew up and wasn’t prepared to have your arm shields swung at him. You tried twice to hit him on the head and with the second swing, he fired at your platform, sending you falling toward the metal pipes below. 

Steve was climbing and didn’t see you fall. Tony grabbed Barnes around the neck from behind. “Do you even remember them?” he asked as he squeezed his airway.

“I remember all of them,” the soldier sputtered. Bucky pushed them both from the walkway, Steve jumped, trying to deflect their fall. 

Bucky grabbed a walkway, breaking it and sending him into a backward swing. Steve and Tony landed on the concrete floor beside the wall opening where the snow drifted in from outside. Wearily, the men stood and held their ground in front of each other.

“This isn't gonna change what happened,” Steve charged.

“I don't care,” Tony retaliated. “He killed my mom.”

It was then they traded punches and Tony ended up pinning Steve down. Bucky saw Cap's shield resting on the next walkway over and swung the broken platform until he was able to fling himself toward it. He grabbed it and leaped down to help. As the two super soldiers fist fought with Iron Man, the shield changed hands between them until Tony managed to fire his repulsor at Steve, throwing him back into the wall. Bucky struggled to hold Tony at bay as he unleashed an energy beam. Bucky forced him against the opposite wall and gripped the glowing core in the chest of Iron Man’s suit. A blast of energy knocked Bucky down, his metal arm completely blown away. Tony blasted him again, sending him sliding across the room. Steve rushed Tony with his shield up and full repulsors fired right on it.

Outside, Zemo was sitting in the snow, listening to a cell phone message from his wife. It was the only thing he had left of her after Sokovia. Zemo could tell that someone was carefully approaching behind him.

“I almost kill the wrong man,” T’Challa stated, softly.

“Hardly an innocent one,” Zemo admitted.

“This is all you wanted? To see them rip each other apart.”

Zemo deleted the voice message, “My father lived outside the city. I thought we would be safe there. My son was excited. He could see the Iron Man from the car window. I told my wife, ‘Don't worry. They are fighting in the city. We're miles from harm.’ Then the dust cleared and the screaming stopped. It took me two days until I found their bodies - my father still holding my wife and son in his arms. And the Avengers? They went home.” He drew a deep breath, “I knew I couldn't kill them. More powerful men than me have tried but if I could get them to kill each other…,” he drifted. “I'm sorry about your father. He seemed a good man, with a dutiful son.”

“Vengeance has consumed you. It's consuming them,” he tilted his head towards the bunker where he knew you were all fighting. He retracted the claws in his gloves, “I am done letting it consume me. Justice will come soon enough.”

Holding a gun, Zemo smiled thinly, “Tell that to the dead.” He tried to shoot himself but T'Challa grabbed him just as he fired.

T’Challa spoke, “The living are not done with you yet.”

~~~~~~

Tony was being pummelled by Steve’s punches. “You can't beat him hand to hand,” FRIDAY stated, urgently.

“Analyse his fight pattern,” Tony demanded.

“Scanning!” Tony's HUD flashed red as Steve landed blow after blow. “Countermeasures ready.”

Tony grabbed Cap's shield, “Let's kick his ass!” He flung the shield away and blasted Steve backward, head over heels. Steve rose, Tony continued to block his punches then blasted him again, sending him to his knees before Bucky who was lying on his back.

“He's my friend,” Steve blurted.

“So was I,” Tony uttered. He punched Steve then threw him back at the gaps in the wall. “Stay down. Final warning.”

Steve struggled to his feet, his face bloody and his gate weary. He raised his fists and stared Tony down. “I can do this all day.”

Tony raised his left palm ready to fire. Bucky grabbed his leg and Tony spun, kicking him in the face. Steve grabbed Tony and lifted him over his head, then threw him down, punched him and bashed his mask off with his shield. In a final blow, he used the shield to strike down hard on the suit's core. Tony looked horrified and glowered fearfully at Steve who panted for breath. Both had blood spattered across their faces. Steve looked back at Tony then shut his eyes and slumped down. The shield remained upright, stuck fast in the center of Tony’s suit. When Steve struggled to get up again, he took hold of the shield, gripping the edge and pulling it free. He stepped away from Tony who rolled painfully onto his side. Bucky lay bloodied but conscious as Steve reached out and pulled him to his feet. He held him up as Tony looked on.

Tony yelled out, “That shield doesn't belong to you.” Steve turned his back on him. “You don't deserve it. My father made that shield!” Steve stopped, raised his chin and dropped the shield. He walked away with Bucky's arm around his shoulder.

Moments later, Tony could hear the Quinjet taking off. He didn’t know where Steve was going but at that point, he was too beside himself to care. He made his way outside the bunker, his face plate in his hands. Zemo was gone and no one knew that T’Challa took him away. Tony figured he escaped. He retracted his suit arm to expose his watch. As he tried to hail his helicopter, his face place glitched in his hand and FRIDAY’s sputtering voice could be heard.

“Boss, ag…...ro….still…..…...jure…...need…..ten.”

“Well, that was cohesive. Clarify.”

“Agent.  
Rogers.  
Still.  
Inside.  
Injured.  
Needing.  
Medical.  
Attention.”

“Shit,” he fiddled with his watch and located the Quinjet a few miles to the west. “Okay, FRIDAY, get that jet over here. How much juice do I have left in this suit?”

“Rer….to…”

“Wow, okay, just keep me powered. I’m going back in.” Tony slid through the wall openings, back into the room where he and Cap fought. He didn’t want to think about what just happened in there and concentrated on finding you. Pulling his watch up, he used its tech to locate you and made his way back into the main chamber. “FRIDAY?” He waited for her response as he looked around the vast area. It had been destroyed from within, just like his team, only ruins left behind.

FRIDAY wasn’t functioning and all she said was, “Watch.”

Tony took that to mean she was going to communicate through his watch. As he looked at the face, a small blip appeared. He started walking in its direction. Crawling over downed concrete was not easy in his failing suit but he was determined to find you. It wasn’t until he made his way to the top of a rubble pile consisting of concrete and twisted pipes. 

“FRIDAY, you’re telling me she’s here. She wasn’t in this area when the wall fell.” He turned his head and looked around the room. “F/N?” He listened carefully once the echo of his voice cleared the silo. There was a tiny noise, a splat maybe, a sound resembling water dripping. He angled his head to the direction he thought it was coming from and that’s when he saw it. One red rock, three feet away from him on the top of the rubble. He scurried as quickly as he could to its location and stared at it. Running his hand over it, he brought it to his face to examine. Blood. Shooting his head upward, he witnessed the sight he was dreading. Your body was slumped over a twisted mess of collapsed pipe that hadn’t dislodged from the chamber wall.

“Oh, fuck! FRIDAY, I need boot jets. Whatever you can give me, I have to get her down.” He tried to take off, his one boot destroyed, the other malfunctioning. He tried to keep his balance as he rose up to your level. It wasn’t until he was up there that he noticed that a small ruptured pipe had pierced your left side came through the other side, your blood dripping to the rubble below. He couldn’t cut the metal as he didn’t have much power left in his suit. He had to pull you off the pipe. Gently wrapping his arms around your body, his eyes started to glisten, “It’s me, isn’t it? I’m the one responsible for this mess,” he painfully admitted as he started to levitate you off the pipe. His suit sputtered and FRIDAY tried to keep him stabilized. A tear leaked from his eye as he pulled you free and brought you to ground level. As he held you in his arms, his mind was reeling five hundred miles a minute. He tried to get you to the jet as quickly as he could. “FRIDAY, I need you to set a course to the closest hospital, wherever the Hell that might be.”

~~~~~~

In a secure chamber at the Berlin UN bunker, Zemo was contained in a prison pod, his ankles cuffed to his seat. Everett Ross entered the chamber and spoke, “Meals at eight and five. Toilet privileges twice a day. Raise your voice, zap! Touch the glass, zap! You step out of line, you deal with me. Please, step out of line, hmm?” Zemo just stared. “So how does it feel? To spend all that time, all that effort, and to see it fail so spectacularly?”

Zemo looked up to meet Everett's gaze, “Did it?”

~~~~~~

Ten days later, back at Avengers HQ, Tony was with Rhodes as he tentatively walked the parallel bars with iron tech on his legs. “It's just the first pass.”

“Yeah,” Rhodes replied, seemingly unimpressed.

“Give me some feedback. Anything you can think of. Shock absorption. Lateral movement. Cup holder?”

“You may wanna think about some AC down in…” his request was interrupted as he fell onto his hands.

Tony was quick to respond, “I'll give you a hand.”

“No, no, don't. Don't help me. Don't help me.” He rose to his hands and knees, turned and sat on the floor beside Tony. “A hundred and thirty-eight. A hundred and thirty-eight combat missions. That's how many I've flown, Tony. Every one of them could've been my last, but I flew 'em. Because the fight needed to be fought. It's the same with these Accords. I signed because it was the right thing to do, and yeah, this sucks. This is, this is a bad beat. But it hasn't changed my mind, I don't think.” He gave a crooked smile and took Tony's hand.

Once Tony helped him to stand, he asked, “You okay?”

“Yeah.” He paused a moment before continuing, “How was F/n? She gonna be okay?”

“She’s the strongest person I know. She’ll be okay,” Tony gave a small hopeful smile.

Their conversation was interrupted by a knock on the window. A FedEx driver stood there with a packet in his hand. “Are you Tony ‘Stank?’”

Rhodes smiled, “Yes, this is. This is Tony ‘Stank.’ You're in the right place. Thank you for that! I'm never dropping that, by the way,” he turned and insinuated to Tony. “Table for one Mr. ‘Stank.’ please, by the bathroom!”

All Tony could do was laugh.

~~~~~~

When Tony was alone, he opened the package and found an envelope and a cell phone inside.

_Tony,_

_I'm glad you're back at the compound. I don't like the idea of you rattling around a mansion by yourself. We all need family. The Avengers are yours, maybe more so than mine. I was on my own when I was 18. I never really fit in anywhere, even in the Army. My faith is in people, I guess. Individuals. And I'm happy to say that, for the most part, they haven't let me down. Which is why I can't let them down either. Locks can be replaced, but maybe they shouldn't. I know I hurt you, Tony. I guess I thought by not telling you about your parents I was sparing you, but I can see now that I was really sparing myself, and I'm sorry. Hopefully one day you can understand. I wish we agreed on the Accords, I really do. I know you're doing what you believe in, and that's all any of us can do. That's all any of us should._

_I don’t know where F/n is. I hope you do and I hope she’s safe. I regret my actions toward her, all because I couldn’t keep my priorities straight. She’s the one I hurt the deepest, the one I personally let down. I hope, one day, she’ll forgive me._

“Priority call from Secretary Ross,” FRIDAY interrupted. “There's been a breach at the Raft prison.”

“Yeah,” put him through.

Secretary Ross spoke through the speakerphone, “Tony, we have a problem.”

“Uh, please hold.”

“No. Don't…” Tony interrupted him and pushed hold on the phone. The red light started to blink. Tony went back to finish Steve’s letter.

_So, no matter what. I promise you, if you need us, if you need me, I'll be there._

~~~~~~

In Wakanda, at a medical facility, Steve spoke, “You sure about this?”

“I can't trust my own mind. So, until they figure out how to get this stuff out of my head I think going back under is the best thing, for everybody,” Bucky answered. “Promise me though,” he added as he placed his good hand on Steve’s shoulder, “promise me you’ll find her….make it right.”

Steve’s face looked sad as he nodded briefly and watched his best friend climb into the cryo chamber. When the lid closed, he was instantly frozen.

A little while later, Steve was standing quietly, staring through a window. 

~~~

_They were all tired. With a successful mission under their belt, all that was heard was the whir of the Quinjet. She fell asleep on Natasha’s shoulder, Natasha asleep atop her friend’s head. He sat across from them and continued to move his eyes from his tablet to her face and back again. If Nat were awake, she would have called him on it. Thank the Gods she wasn’t as he wanted to pursue it on his own._

__

__

_A couple hours later they were all in the lounge at the Tower, showered and starving. Clint ordered dinner and she had whipped up a quick dessert. Tony, Sam and Bruce joined them but Thor was on Asgard. When the order arrived, they all ate as if they hadn’t seen food in days._

__

__

_He watched her eat, he watched her drink, he watched her have the best time conversing with the team. He cringed when she told the story of how she was going from room to room to sweep for enemy weapons. She didn’t know he started at the other end of the hallway and worked his way toward her. When she opened the door to the next room, he was behind it and the door smacked right into him._

_“Seriously?”_

__

__

_“Oh my God, I’m so sorry, Captain,” she blushed and hurried past him, out to the hallway to avoid any further embarrassment, although she may have had a small smirk on her face. After a couple of minutes, he chuckled internally and succumbed to the humor of the situation._

_Moments later, she picked off an enemy trooper who snuck up behind him. The Captain would have been killed if she hadn’t rounded the corner when she did._

_Dinner was finished, Clint and Sam had gone home, Tony and Bruce went to the Lab and Natasha had become the third wheel. She sat across from her friends who were at opposite ends of the sofa. There was no denying the tension between them and Nat wanted nothing more than to see them together. “Well,” she announced suddenly, “I’d better get going. Fury’s got me heading out early tomorrow. Night you two,” she stood and made her way to the elevator._

_He asked her if she wanted another drink and they both stood._

_“No, thank you. I think I’ll head home, too,” she looked at him with a small smile._

_“Listen, before you go,” he caught her attention and reached for her arm, “I wanted to ask.” He cut himself off as he tried to find the right words._

_“Is something wrong?” she questioned._

_“No, no, quite the opposite, actually,” his hand slid down her arm and held her hand. Her eyes widened as her brain went into high alert. They had been getting emotionally closer over the months, always talking and occasionally sharing some quiet time together either in front of the television or out on the balcony. He would even hold her hand during a mission if they needed to run. He would never leave her behind._

_“How do you do it?” he asked as he positioned himself directly in front of her._

_“Do what?” she questioned, confused._

_“You’re good at everything you do,” he smiled, “your missions are practically flawless. Practically,” he winked._

_“Well,” she chuckled and blushed, “I’m supposed to have your back, Steve. That’s my job.”_

_“I understand that but it’s not just the work, it’s your relationship with the team. You cook and bake for everyone, you’re everyone’s best friend and you treat us all like royalty, well, maybe not Tony, but he really doesn’t count.”_

_She burst out laughing and he couldn’t stop himself. He put his free hand up to her cheek. The second he did it, her breath hitched. They stared into each other’s eyes for what seemed like an eternity until he leaned down and placed his lips on top of hers, gently, lovingly. It was what he had wanted to do for weeks. It was what she was hoping would happen for weeks._

_Her lips were warm and soft and he moved his hand partially into her hair, deepening the kiss and praying she wanted this, too._

_She squeezed his hand and ran her free hand up his chest and onto his shoulder. His prayer was answered._

_When they finally parted, he placed his forehead on hers and smiled, “Natasha lied about having to leave, didn’t she?”_

_"Yeah, she totally did.”_

~~~

T'Challa walked toward him, breaking him from his train of thought. Steve took a moment before speaking to the King, “Thank you for all this.” His voice was sincere and a little sad.

“Your friend and my father, they were both victims. If I can help one of them find peace…”

“You know, If they find out he's here, they'll come for him.”

“Let them try.”

~~~~~~

Your room was white and clinical and you were relieved to have been released. Four days was long enough. Sitting on the edge of the bed, your bag was packed and waiting beside you. Your stitches were done well, allowing good movement and the pain level was practically nil. 

You had been treated like a queen. Tony made sure of it by receiving the best medical treatment and having arranged for an interpreter. By day two, he watched you try to converse with the nurses in Russian as they taught you key words, your interpreter laughing hysterically at your verbal attempts to ask to go to the bathroom. 

~~~

_“You look comfortable,” he commented._

_“I feel good,” you replied with a smile._

_“I can never tell if you’re lying,” he retorted, a smirk on his face._

_“Tony, I’m fine.”_

_“I know. I just don’t want to leave you here.”_

_You reached out and grabbed his hand, “You have done so much for me, Tony. I can’t begin to thank you. They’re treating me well and……”_

_“I hate goodbyes,” he interrupted._

_“Me, too,” you sighed. You both shared a look, an understanding that you were in good hands with this arrangement. He had to get back to the United States and you would be in hospital for a couple more days._

_“I love you, Kiddo.”_

_“I love you, too, Tony,” a solo tear trickled down your cheek. He leaned forward and gently wiped it with his thumb. He placed a lingering kiss to your forehead and squeezed the hand you were holding. With his eyes filled with sadness, he slowly backed away and exited your room._

_Fuck!_

~~~

The door creaked open and a couple of knocks could be heard as your interpreter entered the room. She walked over and gave you a hug. “Ready to go?”

“As ready as I’ll ever be, Nat.”


End file.
